Tutorial: Sketching and Optimizing

Sketch a bridge, create a design space, run an optimization and explore the optimized shape.

In this lesson you will learn how to:
  • Use sketch tools
  • Apply supports
  • Apply a pressure
  • Apply symmetry
  • Define a design space
  • Run an optimization
  • Explore optimized shapes


Sketch a Rectangle and Pull into a Solid

  1. Start Inspire. Or if it is already open, click the New model tool on the File icon.
  2. Click on the Unit System Selector in the lower right corner of the modeling window, and change the display units to CGS (cm g dyn s).
  3. Select the Rectangle by Corners tool on the Geometry ribbon.
    A sketch plane appears.
  4. Zoom out using the scroll wheel on the mouse.
  5. Draw a rectangle by clicking the left mouse button once to place the first corner, and a second time to place the opposite corner, so that the dimensions of the rectangle are 30 cm by 10 cm.
  6. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
  7. Double-right-click again to exit sketch mode and enter push/pull mode.
  8. Use the middle mouse button to rotate the model forward slightly, then click and drag with the left mouse button to pull the rectangle into a solid 10 cm thick.
  9. Double-right-click to exit push/pull mode.
  10. Click and drag with the middle mouse button to orient your model so that the z-axis is in the vertical direction, as shown below:

Use a Closed Curve to Create a Hole

  1. Select the Rectangle by 3 Pts tool on the Geometry ribbon.
  2. Click on the square end of the solid to select the sketch plane.
  3. Use the middle mouse button to rotate and adjust the view as shown:
  4. Draw a rectangle by clicking the left mouse button twice to place the bottom two corners, and a third time to place the center of the opposite side, as shown in the video above. The rectangle should be 6 cmtall and 8 cm wide and positioned along the bottom edge of the solid.
  5. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
  6. Double-right-click again to exit sketch mode and enter push/pull mode.
  7. Click and push on the subface with the left mouse button to push a hole through the solid.
  8. Double-right-click to exit push/pull mode, and use the middle mouse button to orbit the model.

Use Open Curves to Trim the Solid

  1. Click the Rotate to Closest Principal Axes icon at the bottom left corner of the modeling window, then use the scroll wheel to zoom out and the mouse controls to adjust the view as shown.
  2. Select the Lines tool on the Geometry ribbon.
  3. Click on the solid to select the sketch plane.
  4. Draw a line by clicking the left mouse button twice to place the end points, one at the bottom corner and another 5 cm along the top edge, as shown below. (The length of the line will be about 11.1 cm.)
  5. Draw a second line on the opposite side of he rectangle, indented 5 cm along the top edge, as shown below:
  6. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
  7. Double-right-click again to exit sketch mode and enter push/pull mode.
  8. Click and push one of the triangular subfaces with the left mouse button to trim the solid.
  9. Click and push the other subface with the left mouse button to trim the opposite side.
  10. Double-right-click to exit push/pull mode, and use the middle mouse button to orbit the model.

Create a Rectangular Base for the Bridge

  1. Using the middle mouse button, rotate the model so you can see the bottom of the bridge, as shown below:
  2. Select the Rectangle by Corners tool on the Geometry ribbon.
  3. Click on one of the bottom faces to select the sketch plane.
  4. Click the Create New Part button on the microdialog. A new part appears in the Model Browser, and the geometry you are about to create will be placed in that new part.
  5. Using the left mouse button, draw a 30 cm by 10 cm rectangle on the bottom face by placing two opposite corners, as shown below:
  6. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
  7. Double-right-click again to exit sketch mode and enter push/pull mode.
  8. Click and drag with the left mouse button to pull the rectangle into a solid 1 cm high. (Alternatively, you can enter 1.0 in the text field and press Enter.)
  9. Double-right-click to exit push/pull mode, and use the middle mouse button to orbit the model.

Apply Supports

  1. Adjust the view so you can see all four corners of the bottom face.
  2. Select the Apply Supports tool from the Loads icon on the Structure ribbon.
  3. Move the mouse cursor over the leftmost corner until the cursor hint displays a point support.
  4. Left-click on the corner to apply the support, which is shown as a cone.
  5. Click on the left front corner to apply another point support.
  6. Double-click the support cone. Three clear axes appear, indicating the translation is locked in all three directions. Click on the axis shown below to enable translation in that direction. (The axis will turn green when selected and is toggled on and off with each successive click.)
  7. Double-right-click to exit and left-click to deselect. The support cone now has green rollers, indicating that the support is free to translate in one direction.
  8. Apply point supports to the other two corners. Double-click the support cones and select the axes shown below, so that they are free to translate in two directions.
  9. Double-right-click to exit and left-click to deselect. The red support cones now display green balls, indicating that the supports are free to translate in two directions.
  10. Zoom out and adjust the view. Your model should appear as shown below:

Define a Design Space

  1. Right-click on the bridge part. The selected part turns yellow, and a context menu appears.
  2. Select Design Space from the menu. Any part that is defined as a design space will generate a new shape when you run an optimization.
  3. If not already visible, press F2 to open the Model Browser.
  4. While the bridge part is still selected, select Part 1 in the Model Browser. The text field becomes editable.
  5. Type "bridge" and press Enter to rename the part.
  6. Select Part 2 and rename it "base" in the Model Browser.
  7. Left-click on an empty space in the modeling view to deselect the part. The bridge part is now a design space and is displayed with a reddish-brown color when not selected.

Apply a Pressure

  1. Adjust the view so your model appears as shown below:
  2. Select the Apply Pressures tool from the Loads icon on the Structure ribbon.
  3. Move the mouse cursor over the base and apply a pressure by left-clicking the top face.
  4. A microdialog for the pressure appears, allowing you to change the direction or magnitude of the pressure. Type 10 Ba in the text field and press Enter.
  5. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Apply a Shape Control

  1. Select the Symmetry tool from the Shape Controls icon on the Structure ribbon.
  2. A secondary ribbon appears, and the Symmetric tool is selected by default.
  3. Left-click the design space. Three symmetry planes appear in red, indicating they are all active.
  4. Clicking on a symmetry plane toggles the plane on and off. Deselect the horizontal plane shown below, so that the plane appears transparent.
  5. Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.

Run Optimization to Generate Shapes

  1. Select the Run Optimization tool on the Optimize icon on the Structure ribbon.

    The Run Optimization window appears.


  2. Select Maximize Stiffness for the optimization Objective.
  3. For Mass targets, make sure that the % of Total Design Space Volume is selected in the pull-down menu, and select 10 to generate a shape using 10% of the material in the design space.
  4. Under Thickness constraints, change the Minimum to 1.3 cm.
  5. Click the Run button at the bottom of the window to run the optimization. The Optimization Run Status window appears and displays a progress bar for the run. (The number in parentheses is a counter that increments each time you run a new optimization.)
  6. When the run has completed successfully, its progress bar is replaced by a green circle.
  7. Double-click the name of the run in the Run Status window. The generated shape appears in the modeling window.

Explore the Optimized Shapes

  1. When you first view an optimized shape, the Shape Explorer appears in the top right corner of the modeling window.
  2. Adjust the view to get a better view of the top of the bridge.
  3. Click and drag the Topology slider in the Shape Explorer to add or subtract material from the design space.
  4. Notice that as you increase the amount of material, new geometry across the top of the bridge emerges. This is an indication that you may need to rerun optimization at a higher percentage for % of Total Design Space Volume.
  5. Select Switch to Design Space in the Shape Explorer to view the original design space. If you exit the Shape Explorer, you can always view the shape generated from the most recent optimization run by clicking the bridge on the Optimize icon.
  6. As you make more optimization runs on this part, each additional run will appear in the Shape Explorer list. Click on a run in the list to view the optimized shape for that run.
  7. To save and export an optimized shape, refer to the Saving and Exporting Files tutorial.